bakerb,

My advice, for what little it's worth, is this:

For a first double rifle:

* buy new; or better yet, buy new second hand.
* buy a medium caliber, not a big boomer.
* buy a caliber for which there is reasonably cheap factory ammo.

There's a steep learning curve with a double rifle. Sure you are adept with your bolt gun or single shot, but double rifles are a new world.

You should expect your double rifle to tolerate only one load. It is often said you can use different weight bullets in your double. That's a substantial part of the logic behind recommending a .450 NE ("there are sooo many sizes and shapes of .458 bullets"). Let me tell you it's false. I have shot and I have owned a hell of a bunch of double rifles. Invariably my experience has been that a double rifle will tolerate only one load. That means one bullet weight at one specific velocity using one specific powder. That's my experience. Others on these forums report brighter horizons. They evidently have magic fingers and pray to the correct god. I don't.

You didn't say whether you are an accomplished ammunition reloader. If not, a double rifle is the absolute wrong rifle to learn reloading on. I'm not going to expound on that comment. Just take it as the gospel. If you are an experienced reloader, you'll have plenty to learn with a double.

A Chapuis, Merkel, Heym, Searcy, or Sabatti would be a good choice. Buy it second hand in excellent condition. The guy before you has taken the depreciation. You take care of the rifle and it won't lose more value.

A medium caliber is far more useful than a boomer. For example, 9.3x74R. You can hunt any North American game with it. You can hunt any African antelope with it. If you are good you can kill a buffalo with it. It's a fun caliber to shoot and doesn't cost the farm. I'm not wild about the short barrels Chapuis and Merkel put on their rifles of this caliber. I like barrels at least 24" long. The ideal length may indeed be 26" on a double.

The rifle I'm recommending won't set you back too hard in the $$$. The value will not decline. If you decide you don't particularly like double rifles (not everybody does), you can sell it and be done. You'll have your money back and can buy some bolts.

On the other hand, double rifles are a lot like potato chips. If you like them, you can't eat just one. If your first DR makes you feel good, you'll know what to do next.

Curl